Chapter 325: Zheng Jianlian: I'm Here to Kill! (Requesting Monthly Votes)
At the final moment of the battle with Qi Bai.
A giant fist smashed down, the eerie wind howled, and the terrifying killing intent made it hard to breathe.
Ning Zhuo raised his head, glaring fiercely at the Ox-Head Ghost Soldier.
"In the end, do I still have to resort to the Buddhist Doctor?!"
Bang!
The Ox-Head Ghost Soldier's attack was blocked.
Suddenly, a figure, as tall as a mountain, stood in front of Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo's eyes gradually widened as he looked at the figure in front of him, his heart shouting in surprise, "Yuan Dasheng?!"
...
Ning Zhuo installed the Mechanical Heart Furnace·Fire Essence into the body of the Golden Core-level mechanical ape.
Ning Zhuo thought to himself.
"Even if ordinary Fire Essence is consumed, the energy provided wouldn't be enough to power this heavy ape mechanism."
"Fire Essence and Fire Persimmon are not much different. Using a Millennium Fire Persimmon or a Ten-Thousand-Year Fire Persimmon as a replacement would work, wouldn't it?"
"Just in time, the Buddhist Doctor mechanism is hidden in the City Lord's mansion warehouse. Stealing the Fire Persimmon would be easy!"
...
Zhu Xuanji received the royal family's calculation results and discovered that it was Yuan Dasheng.
He soared into the sky, high-profile and flamboyant, ripping off rooftops, and descended in front of Ning Zhuo.
"Speak! Why did you kill Yuan Dasheng?" Zhu Xuanji suddenly opened his mouth, his voice as hard as iron, devoid of any warmth.
A massive pressure, like an invisible mountain, suddenly weighed down on Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo staggered, his back inevitably bending, but he didn't kneel. Instead, he maintained his standing posture with difficulty.
He was ready to deploy the Shadow Demon Cultivator·Buddhist Doctor!
...
The Golden Core battle erupted.
Ning Zhuo saw one black shadow demon cultivator after another taking the stage, and he immediately canceled his original plan.
The Mechanical Buddhist Doctor no longer needed to participate in the fight.
Zheng Jianlian faced off against the True Transmission disciple of the Taiqing Palace!
A cold glint flashed in Ning Zhuo's eyes.
The Serpent Scythe suddenly unleashed its power, slashing down the True Transmission disciple of the Taiqing Palace!
...
After entering the Immortal Palace.
Ning Zhuo transmitted a message to Sun Lingtong: "Boss, there’s something wrong with the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit! If it contacts you suddenly in the future, do not believe its one-sided words."
"Also, although we can send messages through the Life Hanging by a Thread technique, I worry about the Immortal Palace's might. Our transmissions might be eavesdropped on by the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit."
"After all, each of us, upon entering the Immortal Palace, has a life string connected to the Lava Immortal Palace."
"There's a good chance that the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit has the ability to tamper with our messages!"
"To be safe, it's best if we communicate face-to-face."
Sun Lingtong nodded, "Alright, I’ll remember!"
...
Ning Xiaohui was already dead.
Ning Zhuo slightly opened the Spirit Box.
The next moment, a small amount of spirit energy, like fireflies, floated out and directly merged into the Flowing Cloud Talisman!
Ning Zhuo's eyes brightened sharply, "It can actually be done!!!"
For a moment, he was overjoyed, his eyes reddening with emotion.
Previously, this was just his hypothesis, and now, having put it into practice, it perfectly validated his idea.
To replenish the spirit energy of the Flowing Cloud Talisman, it could indeed be drawn from a cultivator's body.
When Ning Xiaohui was alive, she used this talisman and was deeply fond of it, treating it almost as a personal treasure.
Because of this, after Ning Xiaohui was burned into a cluster of spirit energy, a small part of it could be absorbed by the Flowing Cloud Talisman, enhancing its foundation.
Ning Zhuo quickly closed the Spirit Box, holding the Flowing Cloud Talisman in his hand, standing still for a long time.
...
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit found Ning Zhuo again.
"Little Master, L-Little Master, I’m the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit." Its voice sounded very weak.
"That Zhu Xuanji is stirring up trouble again!"
"Right now, he plans to use the beast tide to investigate the Golden Furnace in the Gourd Forest."
"Little Master, didn’t I mention this to you before? Yuan Dasheng’s mechanical creation wasted a Golden Furnace."
"If Zhu Xuanji discovers this..."
The Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit revealed a trace of excitement, continuing in a weak tone, "Little Master is decisive and bold, truly extraordinary. Let’s collaborate now and use the Five Elements Tower to give them a harsh blow!"
Ning Zhuo was moved: "Why is the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit so nervous?"
"Golden Furnace..."
"Furnace No. 5 was used for Yuan Dasheng, Furnace No. 3 for the Serpent Scythe, and Furnace No. 4 for my mother. The problem lies with Furnace No. 1 and Furnace No. 2."
"There must be a weakness of the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit hidden in this!"
...
Ning Zhuo composed a "Second" poem and handed it to Zhu Xuanji.
Zhu Xuanji did not tell Ning Zhuo the clues he had detected, but that didn’t matter.
The Buddhist Doctor·Meng Yaoyin was tracking Zhu Zhen, gathering firsthand information, enabling Ning Zhuo to make more accurate judgments.
"What are they searching for?"
"Is it related to the Dragon Turtle Fire Spirit?"
The Buddhist Doctor·Meng Yaoyin had enough spirit energy to act independently.
During Ning Zhuo's palace exam, she continued to carry out reconnaissance.
...
The third round of the palace exam.
Meng Kui continually held back, guiding the attacks of the Scarlet Flame Beasts, causing most of the Lava Immortal Palace to fall, and the related restrictions to greatly weaken.
The Buddhist Doctor·Meng Yaoyin managed to break into the Turning Point Secret Pavilion!
Seeing Ning Zhuo lying on the ground, scorched by karmic fire, even though Meng Yaoyin had no memory, endless fury still rose in her heart.
She passed by Ning Xiaohui's grandmother.
Kill!
Sun Lingtong, unsure of who was friend or foe, fearlessly rushed forward, trying to protect Ning Zhuo.
Meng Yaoyin pointed her finger, and he fell.
Her spirit trembled lightly, filled with infinite affection as she helped Ning Zhuo stand up.
"Mother," Ning Zhuo softly called.
Sun Lingtong's eyes widened, his heart shaken infinitely, "What did I just hear?!"
The injuries on his body healed rapidly, and the karmic fire in his eyes was purified by the Buddhist light.
He suddenly jumped to his feet, shouting, "Xiao Zhuo, you've been hiding so deep!"
Ning Zhuo smiled bitterly, about to explain.
"Watch out!" Sun Lingtong exclaimed in surprise.
He saw Zhu Xuanji charging towards Ning Zhuo from behind.
Ning Zhuo had just recovered, with residual karmic fire still lingering on him, and his spiritual sense could not extend beyond three feet. His five senses were barely restored, and when he heard the howling wind behind him, Zhu Xuanji had already reached his back.
Divine Ability—Golden Mountain Stance!
Divine Ability—Jade Pillar Foundation!
Zhu Xuanji, carrying unmatched momentum, pressed forward like a golden mountain crushing down, his power vast and unstoppable, leaving no room for evasion.
Facing him head-on, Sun Lingtong felt the overwhelming force and, for a moment, even his will was shaken.
Compared to the burly Zhu Xuanji, the Buddhist Doctor Meng Yaoyin appeared thin and frail.
She suddenly turned sideways, extending a palm to protect Ning Zhuo.
Divine Ability—Jade Soft Flower Tender!
Divine Ability—Cloud Ripple Return!
A jade flower bloomed, tender and beautiful. Clouds gathered around, and in an instant, rolling clouds filled the space.
Zhu Xuanji's fierce attack, unparalleled in strength, was swiftly neutralized before Meng Yaoyin. The gathered power accumulated in the soft clouds.
In the next moment, the clouds trembled, and the unmatched force rebounded, striking Zhu Xuanji directly.
Zhu Xuanji, unprepared for such a counterattack, was forced back several steps, retreating through the small door and exiting the secret pavilion where Ning Zhuo stood.
"What an impressive way of using softness to overcome hardness!" Zhu Xuanji was astonished. He hadn't expected that a mere mechanical puppet could perform two divine abilities.
These two abilities complemented each other seamlessly, even more perfectly than the combination of Golden Mountain Stance and Jade Pillar Foundation.
"Kill, I'm here to kill!" In Zheng Jianlian's eyes, reflected the red glow of fire. He had already fallen into madness, and now, influenced by the reality of his spell's backlash, he charged towards Ning Zhuo, filled with murderous intent.
Zhu Xuanji was shocked and shouted, "Don't go!"
Zheng Jianlian gripped the mechanical scythe with both hands and recklessly rushed through the small door.
The scythe was raised high, and suddenly, the blade mechanism shifted, extending like lightning, resembling a crescent moon. The sharp tip pierced Zheng Jianlian's forehead and then exited from the back of his head.
Zheng Jianlian's rushing posture slowed, and by the time he reached Ning Zhuo, he collapsed to his knees with a thud.
He still clutched the long handle of the scythe with both hands, but his bloodshot eyes were completely blank, while his face still bore traces of the wild, frenzied killing intent he had shown just moments ago.
Clack, clack, clack...
The mechanical scythe shifted, transforming into a giant serpent.
The serpent opened its mouth and swallowed Zheng Jianlian's entire corpse.
It let out a joyous, satisfied hiss, then slithered to stand before Meng Yaoyin, lowering its head submissively.
Meng Yaoyin stood to the side, extending a hand to gently stroke the serpent's head.
The mechanical serpent flicked its tongue, its tail wagging happily, both affectionate and obedient.
Chi Dun, who witnessed this scene, along with the newly arrived Zhou Nongying and Yang Chanyu, all gasped in shock.
In that instant, they realized that this was a huge conspiracy, one that had directly calculated the death of the Zheng family’s Golden Core cultivator!
Yang Chanyu suddenly understood: Sun and Ning had planned so deeply and so viciously! No wonder they had been so confident in their bid for the position of the Lava Immortal Palace’s master.
In an instant, the mechanical serpent transformed back into a scythe, which the Buddhist Doctor held in her hand.
Meng Yaoyin lightly slashed toward the doorway.
In that instant, Chi Dun, Zhou Nongying, and Zhu Xuanji found themselves in a pitch-black rainy night.
Desolate, helpless, despairing, and bleak...
The illusion passed in a flash.
Blood spurted from Chi Dun’s neck, and the gaping wound nearly decapitated him. He hastily retreated, clutching his head, frantically using his body techniques to heal himself.
Zhou Nongying was flung backward, his protective treasures sliced in half, leaving him in utter shock.
Zhu Xuanji's golden light flared as the Golden Mountain was cleaved almost into four sections. The golden branches and jade leaves on the mountain were swept away like leaves in a storm, collapsing with a crisp ringing sound.
He spat out blood and, as he stood, staggered back several more steps.
In his eyes, a purple hue began to spread.
Zhu Xuanji was horrified!
It wasn’t just the frontal attack from the Buddhist Doctor and the serpent scythe that left him in such a sorry state. The critical issue was the hidden danger lurking inside him.
During their clash, the inner and outer forces had worked together, causing him to be defeated in one blow.
"When did I fall for this trick?"
He suddenly recalled, "Was it when I used the Trace Back Art to peer into the past of the Golden Furnace, and got tainted by the purple energy, thinking I had already dispelled it?!"
Yang Chanyu's face turned pale, and she took several steps back in fright. Although she hadn’t been attacked, the sight alone was terrifying.
"Boss, let's go," Ning Zhuo said to Sun Lingtong, still weak.
The Buddhist Doctor Meng Yaoyin protected the two as they walked toward the door.
The Golden Core cultivators, frightened by the previous attack, remained motionless, either healing or watching in silence.
Ning Zhuo understood his own situation well.
The Buddhist Doctor Meng Yaoyin had just used two divine abilities, consuming a great deal of her spirit energy. Going all out with the serpent scythe only added to the burden.
Fortunately, his bluff had worked, leaving the enemies still shaken.
"Anyone who crosses this door will be killed."
As he stepped through the door, Ning Zhuo slightly turned his head and weakly left those words behind.
No one dared to respond.
(End of Chapter)